Games of chance are becoming increasingly a part of industry and commerce. Such games of chance include specialty tickets of the paper type which have first and second sections, a first section of which identifies the ticket and a second section which contains a hidden combination of indicia representing winning and nonwinning combinations. In one such type of ticket, the portion containing the concealed indicia comprises a plurality of folded panels on the inside of which is printed the combination of indicia. Once the panels are folded, a strip of thin colored paper is wrapped over the outside of the folded panels and the ends of the paper are glued together to hold the panels in the folded condition. When the purchaser desires to open the ticket, he simply tears the thin paper wrapping and opens the folds. In another type of specialty ticket, one or more combinations of indicia may be placed on a first card with a second card placed over and covering the surface of the first card. The two cards are attached in some manner such as by glue placed around the edges. Over each combination of indicia is a rectangular cover section in the second card that has perforated edges around at least three sides thereof which can be torn loose and the rectangular cover section lifted to view the indicia thereunder.
In another version, a predetermined number of chance tickets are sold, each of the chance tickets having concealed indicia thereon, and then a master ticket having concealed winning number thereon is opened to reveal the winning number and those holding the purchased tickets open their concealed numbers and at least one of the tickets will have winning indicia thereon corresponding to the winning indicia on the master ticket. With this system, the predetermined number of tickets are generally kept in a bowl or other container with the master ticket prominently displayed to attempt to persuade individuals to purchase one or more of the predetermined number of tickets. Because the state and other governmental entities regulate the sale of such tickets with detailed particularity, including tax stamps, serial numbers, dates of sale and the like, it is important that the master ticket which contains the information necessary to meet the governmental requirements be prominently displayed on the container holding the loose predetermined number of tickets. Clearly, it is difficult, with any particular type of container, to prominently display the master ticket.
The present invention fulfills a vacuum in the marketplace and overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art system of using a master ticket to sell a predetermined number of chance tickets one of which has winning indicia thereon that corresponds to the concealed winning indicia on the master ticket. With the present invention, a unitary gaming device is provided that has the master ticket as a cover display with all of the governmental required indicia visible thereon as well as concealed indicia representing winning data, and a plurality of chance tickets, each of the tickets having at least one concealed number thereon that matches the concealed winning data on the master ticket. The chance tickets and the master ticket are stacked in superimposed relationship with the master ticket on top. An orifice is formed in the ends of each of the chance tickets and the master ticket and a pivoting device such as a bolt or other connecting means couples the chance tickets and the master ticket together such that any one of the chance tickets may be selected for purchase by pivoting the chance tickets about the pivot point or bolt and removing at the score line. In this manner, the tickets are all kept together with the master ticket until sold. In addition, the master ticket clearly displays the governmental required indicia and is never separated from the plurality of chance tickets pending the sale of the chance tickets.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device for selling tickets to purchasers that maintains a master ticket and the chance tickets in a unitary assembly for merchandising with the master ticket displaying the governmental required indicia.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a unitary gaming device for selling tickets to purchasers that is constructed such that any one of a plurality of chance tickets may be selected by a purchaser by rotating the chance tickets about a pivot point joining all of the chance tickets and a master ticket.